Sec. 20-217. Funeral director's license. Examination. Fee. Out-of-state licensees. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 20-217. Funeral director's license. Examination. Fee. Out-of-state licensees. (a) When a student funeral director has completed a program of education approved by the board with the consent of the Commissioner of Public Health, has successfully completed an examination prescribed by the department with the consent of the board and furnishes the department with satisfactory proof that he has completed one year of practical training and experience in full-time employment under the personal supervision of a licensed embalmer or funeral director, and pays to the department a fee of one hundred sixty-five dollars, he shall be entitled to be examined upon the Connecticut state law and regulations pertaining to his professional activities. If found to be qualified by the Department of Public Health, he shall be licensed as a funeral director. Renewal licenses shall be issued by the Department of Public Health pursuant to section 20-222a, unless withheld for cause as herein provided, upon a payment of a fee of one hundred fifteen dollars.

      (b) Examinations for a funeral director's license shall be held semiannually and at such other times as may be determined by the Department of Public Health.

      (c) Any person licensed as a funeral director in another state whose requirements for licensure in such capacity are substantially similar to or higher than those of this state and who is a currently practicing competent practitioner shall be eligible for licensure without examination upon application and payment of a fee of one hundred sixty-five dollars, provided all such applicants shall be required to pass an examination, given in writing, on the Connecticut public health laws and the regulations of the Department of Public Health pertaining to the activities of a funeral director. No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.

      (1949 Rev., S. 4539; 1951, 1953, S. 2256d; 1959, P.A. 616, S. 62; 1967, P.A. 835, S. 2; June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 71; 1972, P.A. 127, S. 44; P.A. 76-113, S. 9; P.A. 77-614, S. 436, 610; P.A. 80-484, S. 88, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 49, 71; P.A. 88-163, S. 2; P.A. 89-251, S. 110, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 28, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)

      History: 1959 act raised fee in Subsec. (2) from $10 to $15, quadrupled fee in Subsec. (3)(c) and deleted provision for $10 fee for issuance of license; 1967 act deleted requirement of satisfactory completion of four-year course in secondary school or equivalent prior to beginning study of funeral directing and substituted satisfactory completion of "a two-year course of study in a postsecondary school approved by the board" in Subsec. (1)(d), deleted requirement for oral or written examination in Subsec. (2), revised requirement in Subsec. (3)(b) re satisfactory proof of completion of "two years of practical training and experience in full-time employment under personal supervision of a licensed embalmer or funeral director," deleted obsolete reference to proof of being a registered student director, substituted "department of health" for "board" re granting renewal of license "pursuant to section 20-222a," added provision for $10 renewal fee in Subsec. (3)(c) and added full name of board to Subsec. (4); 1971 act raised fee in Subsec. (3)(c) from $40 to $150 and renewal fee from $10 to $100; 1972 act changed minimum age of applicant from 21 to 18 in Subsec. (3), reflecting lowered age of majority; P.A. 76-113 deleted requirement that applicant be U.S. citizen in Subsec. (1); P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services in Subsec. (3), effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-484 deleted Subsecs. (1) and (2) re qualifications and registration procedure for student funeral director, deleted minimum age requirement and July first as license expiration date in former Subsec. (3), redesignated as Subsec. (a), similarly redesignated Subsec. (4) as (b) and transferred examination and licensing powers from board of examiners to department of health services; P.A. 81-471 added requirement that student funeral director complete a program of education approved by the board with the consent of the commissioner prior to taking examination; P.A. 88-163 reduced the practical training requirement from two years to one year, reduced fee for license renewal from $100 to $50 and added Subsec. (c) concerning licensing of persons licensed in another state; P.A. 89-251 increased the application fees from $150 to $165; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 raised license renewal fee for a funeral director from $50 to $115; P.A. 93-381 replaced department and commissioner of health services with department and commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.

      Under former statute board not justified in requiring embalmer's license for funeral directors. 129 C. 134. Former statute unconstitutional in part. Id.